Scandinavian Working Papers in Economics

CLTS Working Papers,
Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Centre for Land Tenure Studies

No 1/16: A Land Tenure Module for LSMS

Stein T. Holden (), Daniel Ali, Klaus Deininger and Thea Hilhorst
Additional contact information
Stein T. Holden: Centre for Land Tenure Studies, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Postal: Centre for Land Tenure Studies, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, P.O. Box 5003, NO-1432 Aas, Norway
Daniel Ali: Development Research Group, The World Bank
Klaus Deininger: Development Research Group, The World Bank
Thea Hilhorst: Development Research Group, The World Bank

Abstract: This paper proposes to fill the important gap in reliable and nationally representative land tenure data by including a Land Tenure Module (LTM) to be linked to multi-purpose household surveys such as the Living Standard Measurement Surveys (LSMS). Developing survey standards to generate globally comparable land data is important for generating data to be used in global and regional land governance monitoring initiatives (SDGs; LPI – UNECA; GLTN/ GLII; VGGT). The LTM can be a cost-effective way to provide data for evidence-based analyses that will help identify the areas where policy action can have the most significant and/or immediate impact, and help in sequencing and prioritizing policy interventions. The paper illustrates important issues that may be analyzed based on such a module in order to motivate its implementation and where the current state of knowledge is constrained by limited data access. To facilitate this integration, a generic LTM is proposed based on an assessment of existing tenure modules and lessons learned from surveys on land tenure. It introduces a basic structure including: (i) ownership and use of agricultural and non-agricultural land and immobile assets on the land, (ii) sources of land acquisition including inheritance, (iii) land transactions, (iv) formal and informal property rights, (v) investments on the land, (vi) land conflicts, (vii) legal knowledge, (viii) gender and property rights, (ix) perceptions of tenure security and (x) trust in land-related institutions.

Keywords: Land Tenure Module (LTM); Living Standard Measurement Surveys (LSMS); generic questionnaire

JEL-codes: Q15; R33

46 pages, First version: January 29, 2016. Revised: October 16, 2019.

Full text files

40354 PDF-file Full text

Download statistics

Questions (including download problems) about the papers in this series should be directed to Sarah Ephrida Tione ()
Report other problems with accessing this service to Sune Karlsson ().

This page generated on 2024-02-05 17:12:58.